As Ugandans headed to the polls on Thursday, opposition leader Bobi Wine claimed widespread ballot stuffing and the arrest of his party officials, casting a cloud of doubt over the electoral process. The high-stakes election saw President Yoweri Museveni seeking his seventh term in office, against a backdrop of an internet shutdown and heightened security presence.
Wine, a popular musician-turned-politician, took to social media to voice his concerns, stating that the “internet [is] switched off” and accusing the government of “massive ballot stuffing” and the “arrest and abduction” of his party’s representatives. Delays were reported at many polling stations across the country, with some remaining closed for hours after voting was scheduled to begin.
David Lewi Rubongoya, the secretary general of Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP), said no voting took place in much of the capital Kampala in the morning, describing the situation as a “sham” orchestrated by the government.
Museveni, who has been in power for nearly four decades, acknowledged experiencing challenges in casting his own vote and promised to investigate the matter. In the lead-up to the election, security forces had frequently disrupted Wine’s campaign events, using tear gas, gunfire, and physical force against his supporters, resulting in at least one death and hundreds of arrests.
The heightened repression and crackdown on dissent have raised fears of a violent backlash in the aftermath of the vote, similar to the events that unfolded in neighbouring Tanzania following its election in October.
Wine’s manifesto had promised a “complete reset of Uganda,” including upholding human rights and tackling corruption. His young, energetic supporters see him as a beacon of hope for change, in contrast to the long-serving Museveni, who has been credited with bringing stability and economic growth but has also faced accusations of authoritarianism and curtailing judicial independence.
As the nation awaits the final results, observers will be closely watching to see how the election reflects the ongoing power struggle and the prospects for Uganda’s democratic future.
